Writing is like a car engine with many moving parts, each playing a vital role in a car’s motion. Students are expected to master vocabulary, grammar, writing mechanics, and tone and organize their thought processes fluidly if they are to develop strong writing skills.
The process is demanding and sometimes challenging, especially for slow learners. However, given the importance of writing, students must be guided to excel at it.
Good writing skills enable students to express their ideas easily and improve their academic performance. Moreover, it makes students look more intelligent, which enhances their image and standing.
Ways to Develop Writing Skills: A Six Points Guide
No one was born a good writer. Each of us has learned to write from the fundamentals. It is a long and tedious process that requires dedication and commitment, especially if you want to be amongst the top writers.
While the basics must be taught early for a stronger foundation, it is never too late to learn. It is in the interest of teachers and parents to develop learners’ writing skills. However, only teachers are professionally trained to teach writing skills.
On the other hand, one can choose to opt for professionals to do their writing for them by using tools such as Writepaper, but parents often gamble, sometimes adopting techniques with low effectiveness and efficiency. Below are tips to develop writing skills in students.
Reality check: Writing is Hard Work
Most students expect to master writing skills in one sitting. It is the optimism of youth and young age. However, the challenge is that it can trigger a feeling of failure after a few unsuccessful attempts.
It is wise to let your students know from the start that writing is hard work and dedication. They must be willing to put in extra work to succeed. If possible, share your writing journey.
Let them understand that gaining the privilege to teach them is costly. A sample of a completed essay, thesis, or report with its development stages can be used to reinforce the message.
Get them Started
Sometimes starting is more challenging than progressing. A blank page intimidates even the most seasoned writers. I have realized that a few sentences about a topic can help students gain confidence, helping them to write better essays.
For example, my daughter can take hours to write the first word of her articles. However, she gets off to a brilliant start when I provide her with the article’s mental map. Most times, she ends up with better papers than I imagined.
It is also okay to guide them in developing their essay outlines. The idea is to get them writing because they can learn better from their mistakes.
If starting is your Achilles heel, there are professional essay writers who can get you started. Academic essay writing services like CustomWritings.com are dedicated to helping students complete their assignments within the shortest deadlines.
Their experts are available 24/7 to assist. They provide custom papers written from scratch at the most affordable prices. There’s hardly any discipline they can’t write about. I have used their services a few times and can assure you that they deliver original, well-researched, and quality papers.
Their turnaround time will surprise you. Even when you think the deadline is too short, they will beat it. Try them, and you won’t regret your decision.
Teach Writing Drafts
A draft is like a roadmap or a campus that guides the writing process. It can be altered several times until a final copy is attained.
Remember, when students get started, their ideas may not be focused. They could be thinking of many ideas and concepts at the same time. However, the ideas remain largely disorganized. Do not discourage or ridicule muddled or haphazard thinking. Instead, encourage the students to write them all down. The work will become more organized with each revision.
The process makes students realize that perfect sentences and essays are products of the back-and-forth process of writing, proofreading, and editing. Over time, they’ll also appreciate that systemic thinking is a product of haphazard thinking.
Unlike in the past, where each draft was written on a different paper, computer technology has made revising and editing almost seamless. Let your students enjoy the advantages of unlimited revisions on their computers.
Create Peer Groups
Peer groups can be very beneficial if well-managed. Form groups of 3-4 students each. Please give them a simple essay to write and ask the groups to exchange their pieces with each other.
Then each group is to criticize a paper together, providing their grammar, style, and vocabulary input. Ask the groups to exchange their essays for the second time, each providing additional review and editing. Share the final copies with the original groups and discuss the proposed changes.
The simple peer review exercise should help students understand the value of proofreading and editing their works several times. Remember that a perfect essay is a product of hard work, and editing and proofreading are critical requirements when teaching how to develop writing skills.
Encourage a Reading Culture
A reading culture is easier to develop in childhood. However, it isn’t impossible for high school and college students to catch up. Encourage your students to embrace activities that instill reading discipline and culture, remembering that great writers are avid readers.
Reading has multiple benefits for students. First, they learn new vocabulary as they read. Secondly, they will know how different words are used in context, expanding their vocabulary and word-use flexibility.
Thirdly, they learn different sentence structures that are vital for creative writing. Students can use the skills they learn from other writers to develop their own skills and find their unique space and style in the crowded writing field. You can only be an accomplished English writer like William Shakespeare if you understand his style, learn from it, and develop your style.
Explore Diverse Topics
Popular essays like “The history of slavery in the United States,” “The civil rights movement,” “Racism in the US,” “Child obesity,” and “Civil War and its significance in American history” are good starting points.
However, these essays have been over-explored and are unlikely to trigger immense interest in your students. I understand that controversial topics are debatable and suitable for the classroom, but unique topics are a better approach for struggling students to develop writing skills.
Give them essays on special topics that send them to new unexplored sources. For example, “Why Iceland’s four days’ working week should be adopted in America,” “Why Ethiopia’s development model is ideal for the third world economies,” and “Why Sweden’s free college education should be adopted in America.” Essays that encourage students to learn about other countries expand their knowledge and make them better global citizens.
